Sir, I hope you will allow me to reply to the letter in your Opinion page, November 25, from the chairman of Wantage Tennis Club.

In his letter last week, Stephen Thompson, chairman of Wantage Tennis club, fails to address the fact that a private tennis club is swallowing up half an acre or more of open public parkland in the Manor Road.

Replying to the criticism that there was no consultation, he says they wrote to residents in Manor Road who overlooked the park and held an open public forum. I wonder when and where the public forum was held and how it was publicised.

The fact is, the use of open public parkland for a private club will affect more than those few people living nearby. This district council-run park is there for public use – in which we should include the 9,906 people of Wantage and 8,000 or so people living in nearby Grove.

Neither of these communities will be shrinking in the future, they will be expanding and all the public open space should be deemed precious. The money raised by the club from the sale of their Foliat Drive site should have been reinvested in land other than grassed, open space within the confines of a small public park.

How necessary is the immediate refurbishment of the two public courts on Manor Road? To the untrained eye they look perfectly adequate at this time.

Upon referring to the website of the Wantage Tennis Club, it is clear that their training sessions on a Saturday are held – guess where? Manor Road Park public tennis courts, for which they charge £5 per child per session. Who is really going to benefit from the refurbishment of the public courts?

Carol Tomlinson Elizabeth Drive Wantage